Natural gas site planned for area

Compression plant would serve industry, commercial users

Published 5:31 pm, Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Albany

Two energy companies are planning their first natural gas compression plant in New York somewhere in the Albany area next fall to service commercial and industrial users.

Houston-based Direct Energy Business, through affiliate Hess Energy Marketing, and Xpress Natural Gas, of Boston, are eyeing "multiple locations" for the site and have not yet chosen one, said Direct Energy Business spokeswoman Andrea Romo on Wednesday. To be operated by Hess, the plant would compress natural gas and load it onto Xpress trucks for delivery.

This week, a joint news release by the companies said the proposed facility "is currently undergoing a permit process, and is anticipated to have completed construction and be fully operational by September 2014." On Wednesday, Romo said, "We are exploring local permits at this time."

More Information

When open, the terminal is expected to employ up to eight full-time employees, and support "nearly 100 related jobs in the area," according to the news release.

Hiring for the new facility has already started. This month, Xpress sought a sales professional for a position "based in the Albany area," according to the company's Web page. Romo said the job opening stems from the proposed new facility.

The posting said the company had "recently expanded its natural gas compression and delivery capabilities into New York state, western Vermont and Massachusetts" and wants to support "rapid growth into these compressed natural gas markets." The job would "require extensive local travel within New York state as well as nearby Massachusetts and Vermont," according to the posting.

Xpress was launched in 2011. This spring, the company struck a deal with Maine Natural Gas, to build a compressed natural gas production facility Augusta that Xpress would use to truck natural gas to customers throughout Maine.

Xpress operates the largest fleet of compressed gas transport trucks in North America, and services New York, New England, and eastern Canada.

"By combining resources with (Hess) and Direct Energy Business, we dramatically expand our ability to rapidly bring low-cost trucked natural gas solutions to customers across New York State," said John Nahill, Xpress president. "New York has taken a leadership role in encouraging the adoption of natural gas both as a low-cost and environmentally sound solution to lower carbon emissions."

Direct Energy describes itself as North America's largest provider of heating and cooling, plumbing and electrical services and a leading energy and energy-related services provider with more than 6 million residential and commercial customers. Operating in 46 states, it is a subsidiary of Centrica PLC, a British multinational utility company.